To call attention to legislative maneuvers such as "gut and replace" and "Frankenstein," Common Cause Hawaii and the League of Women Voters of Hawaii will give a "Rusty Scalpel" award for the most altered bill during the new session.

Good government advocates have complained that the maneuvers can subvert the democratic process. Many lawmakers, however, privately defend the tactics as tools of the legislative trade and occasionally necessary to move legislation that would otherwise die.

6 Responses to “`Rusty scalpel'”

Well, yeah, it will l "occasionally necessary to move legislation that would otherwise die." That's the whole point. Bills which cannot advance through the regular procedures, with proper hearings and testimony, being passed by prior committees, get revived through legislative shortcuts, have the rules bent for them.

C'mon, Kolea, you know as well as anybody that very worthy bills get killed off for reasons that have nothing to do with their merits and everything to do with the ego or pecuniary interests of committee chairs who have near life and death power over them.

Ohia makes a good point. Let's re-examine this matter once we have a specific case before us, so I can examine the face of the ox, inspect the brand and determine to whom it belongs. All important contextual factor in determining the appropriateness (or outrage!) of a "gut and replace" maneuver.